Myopia (nearsightedness). Most patients with Marfan develop nearsightedness, usually in childhood.
About 90% of Marfan patients will develop cardiac complications.
This condition is much more prevalent in patients with Marfan syndrome than in the general population.
Between 50 and 80% of Marfan patients have dislocated lenses.
Marfan patients may develop kyphosis either in the upper (thoracic) spine or the lower (lumbar) spine.
In patients with Marfan, it is the abnormal mitral valve that is most likely to become infected.
Patients with Marfan sometimes develop dental problems related to crowding of the teeth caused by a high-arched palate. They can also develop overgrowth and inflammation of the gums, due to those being part of our connective tissue.
Some patients with Marfan develop cystic disease of the lungs or recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax, which is a condition in which air accumulates in the space around the lungs. Many will also eventually develop emphysema.
Retinal detachment. Patients with Marfan are more vulnerable to this disorder because of the weakness of their connective tissues.
Marfan patients often develop striae over the shoulders, hips, and lower back at an early age because of rapid bone growth. Although the patient may be self-conscious about the striae, they are not a danger to health.
The weak dura in Marfan patients swells or bulges under the pressure of the spinal fluid. This swelling is called ectasia.
Smoking is particularly harmful for Marfan patients because it increases their risk of emphysema.
Marfan syndrome causes an increase in the length of the patient's bones, with decreased support from the ligaments that hold the bones together.